Microphone umbrella



July I6, 1940. B F. RYAN MICROPHONE UMBRELLA Filed Oct. 3,`l938 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE RHCROPHONE UMBRELLA Byron F. Ryan,

Los Angeles, Calif., assignmto Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., acorporation of Delaware Application October 3,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to sound detecting apparatus and particularly toan attachment or device associated with a microphone for eliminatingnoises caused by falling fluids, such as rain.

In many instances in the production of motion pictures, the sets areout-ofdoors and the pictures with their concomitant sound are taken inthe rain. Rain scenes are also made within a studio by creating anartificial storm on the set. 10 In these particular cases it has beenfound that raindrops striking the associated microphone produceextremely loud sounds which are not those of falling rain but which are,of course, recorded upon the sound track.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to protect amicrophoneused in the rain from being adversely a'ected thereby.

Another object of the invention is to eihciently dissipate the kineticenergy of falling rain drops 20 so as to prevent their reaction upon amicrophone circuit and to protect the microphone itself from themoisture.

'I'he above objects are accomplished by the use oi' a rain umbrella aspart of the microphone g5 unit which consists of an energy dissipatingmedium for finely dividing the rai'ndrops and absorbing them, whilepreventing any leakage thereof onto the microphone itself. By the use ofan absorbent material, sound-wave reflections m and echo effects areminimized.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic ofthis invention are pointed out with particular-ity in the vclaimsappended herewith, the manner mode of its operation will be betterunderstood by referring to the following description read in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing :forming a part thereof, in which Figure iis an elevational view of a microphone 13@ showing one embodiment oftheinvention; and

" Figure 2 is an elevational view of a second embodiment of theinvention. y Referring now to Fig. l, a rod or shat 5 supports a yokevmember t, to which it is attached, while the other end of the rod t maybe connected. to the end oi a microphone boom (not shown),

as is well irnownin the art. Suspended by resilient rubber bands orsprings t within the yoke 5, but not in contact therewith, is arectangular member t carrying a microphone suspension bolt l on thetower side thereof. The bolt 'it passes through a microphone yoke l2 andis fastened by a Wing nut i3. The yoke l 2 supports a microphone I5between its two ends and is held thereto M by nuts I6 and I1.

of its organization and the 1938, Serial N0. 232,990 (Cl. 179-184)Mounted between the upper portion of the yoke l2 and the lower portionof member 9 is a screen and felt combination 2li- 2L respectively, thescreen extending horizontally, while the ielt 2l is curved at the ends.The felt or other similar absorbing material may be attached to thescreen by glue, rivets or the like. The screen and felt 2| may becircular in form or of any other appropriate conguration. The screen 20.is of fine mesh, suilicient to dissipate the kinetic energy of thefalling raindrops and to break them into small particles which areabsorbed by the felt 2 I. Plate 22 aids in maintaining the felt inposition. To protect the microphone from moisture which might seepthrough the felt, the lower surface 24 thereof is coated with shellac.

This device has enabled a microphone to be used in heavy rain sceneswithout disturbance by the rain, the felt not only absorbing the rain,but also serving as a sound-wave absorber to prevent refiections andecho eii'ects.

In Fig. 2, a different form oi rain umbrella for the microphone i5 isshown, this umbrella, however, being similar in construction to thatshown in Fig. i since it has the sametype of screen 25 and felt 26 with'a shellac under-surface. 21. There is some advantage in thismodiiication, inasmuch as the sloping sides of the umbrella aid inbreaking up the Water drops and thus dissipating the energy beforeabsorption by the felt. The moisture may also drain 'oir at ardenitepoint thereof. This modcation may also be circular, polygonal, or anyother suitable shape.

I claim as myfinvention:

i. An attachment for protecting a microphone from falling jfluidscomprising an upper screen and an underlayer of absorbing materialhaving one side thereof impervious to moisturasaid screen and absorbingmaterial being positioned to intercept said fluid.

, 2. A rainurnbrella ier a microphone comprising a rine mesh screen forErst contacting the raindrops and an adjacentV moisture absorbentmaterial for absorbing said drops after division by said screen, and alayer of rnoisture-carooi7 material on the lower side ci said material.

3. A raindrop silencer comprising a fine mesh screen for rst contactingsaid raindrops, a layer of felt attached to the undersuriace of saidscreen for absorbing said rain, and moisture-proof material on theunder-surface of said felt.

4. A raindrop silencer according toclaim 3 in which the moisture-proofmaterial on the under surface of said felt is shellac for preventingsaid 2 rain from passing through the underside o! said feit.

5. A saindrop silencer in accordance with claim 3 in which the sides ofsaid screen are at a slight downward ansie to the horizontal to aid indissipating the kinetic energy in said raindrops.

6. A raindrop silencer forattachment to a microphone comprising a layerof fine mesh screen interposed between said microphone and a source o!said rain for iinely dividing said raindrops, and a layer of moistureabsorbing material attached to the underside o! said screen forabsorbing said moisture, the lower side of said screen being shellacedto prevent passage of said moisture to said microphone.

7. A-raindrop silencer for a microphone used in the rain comprising afine mesh screen and a layer of felt attached to said screen, the lowersurface of said felt having a coat of material impervious to moisture,said screen and felt being positioned directly above said microphone.

BYRON F. RYAN.

